Fish has spoken with Whitten informally throughout the hunger strike and is concerned about his health, said Jim Blackwood, the commissioner's policy director.

Fish, along with other members of City Council, has offered to help Whitten get involved helping Portland's homeless from inside of City Hall or with other groups City Council works with. Whitten has declined those offers so far.

Portland Mayor Sam Adams lent his support to Fish’s statement via social media, agreeing that the city could use Whitten "in the trenches."

"As many
of you know, a young man named Cameron Whitten has been staging a
hunger strike in front of City Hall for over a month to draw support for
people experiencing homelessness in our community.

When I met with Cameron recently, I told him I admired his passion
for the issues of housing and homelessness, and urged him to become
involved in our community’s housing movement.

Every day in this city, a coalition of advocates drawn from
government, non-profits, business, philanthropy and the faith community
work hard to address our local housing crisis. Their efforts are marked
by the quiet determination that no problem is unsolvable. They are the
unsung heroes, dedicated to serving our community’s most vulnerable.

Cameron's hunger strike has shined a light on the plight of those who
live on our streets. He reminds us that every one in our city deserves
a safe and decent place to call home.

I hope Cameron will end his hunger strike, get his strength back,
roll up his sleeves, and join us in our fight to end homelessness."